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Sammy Yatim: Changes coming to police use-of-force rules

In the wake of the high-profile police killing of 18-year-old Sammy Yatim, the provincial body that governs police use of force is set to make an announcement about options available to frontline officers.

Frontline police officers in Toronto and elsewhere in Ontario carry an expandable baton and pepper spray, along with handcuffs and a gun. Supervisors and tactical officers are the only ones permitted to use Tasers. In this province, less-lethal options — like the beanbag gun recently used by Vancouver police to subdue a man wielding a needle — are only used by the tactical force.

It’s not yet known what changes the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services, which governs police use-of-force policies, will announce Tuesday. Wider deployment of Tasers, while controversial, has long been called for by Toronto police brass and others.

In the case of Yatim’s shooting, Const. James Forcillo, the officer charged with second-degree murder, did not have a Taser. A supervisor deployed a Taser after Yatim was shot.

A 2009 report from the ministry recognized Tasers as “an effective less lethal intermediate weapon for law enforcement” but took no steps to expand the availability of the weapon. Instead the report recommended further analysis and the establishment of better policies and training curriculum.

In the past police Chief Bill Blair has called for all frontline officers to carry Tasers, in line with positions expressed by both the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police and the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police.

“If there’s a situation where I can save a human life by Tasing them, I think ethically, legally and morally, that would be a far more worthwhile choice than extinguishing a human life,” said Steve Summerville, president of Stay Safe Instructional Programs, a private security training firm. Summerville retired as a staff sergeant with the Toronto police in 2001. Summerville stressed the importance of having less-lethal weapons immediately available at the time of a crisis.

“In the areas we’ve seen lethal force applications, probably the last dozen times, it involves a frontline officer,” said Summerville, who has testified at inquests as a use of force expert. “In spontaneous situations … it’s not always applicable to wait and hold off on that situation. Especially if it was perceived to be a lethal force situation.”

Police elsewhere in Canada have other less-lethal force options readily available for handling dangerous situations.

A dramatic takedown captured on YouTube highlighted a successful example of Vancouver police using a beanbag gun to take down a suspect in an incident at the Vancouver Art Gallery on Aug. 12. The weapon is a normal shotgun loaded with rounds that contain a small beanbag.

“Tactical officers as a rule have a wider variety of options because they deal with a much wider variety of circumstances,” said Toronto police spokesman Mark Pugash.

“I've seen comments in the media about police should carry rubber bullets, police should carry — there’s a finite limit to what a police officer can carry, and you have to make the best decisions based on circumstances that we deal with,” said Pugash.

The Vancouver Police Department has about 130 frontline officers equipped with beanbag shotguns. The force also has 80 officers of various ranks trained and equipped with Tasers.

“It's like getting hit with a baseball being thrown by a major league pitcher. It hurts, there’s no doubt about it,” said Const. Brian Montague, spokesman for Vancouver police.

The video posted shows police confronting a distraught man brandishing a hypodermic needle and pacing around a field in front of the Vancouver Art Gallery. An officer with a beanbag shotgun approaches and fires at the man’s chest.

He crumples immediately and writhes on the ground until officers apprehend him.

“It’s an excellent case. It’s a case where the weapon worked the way it’s supposed to work,” said Montague.

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